Abstract:
Hollow nanocrystals that can function as highly-efficient catalysers or transport containers for chemical agents are in great demand nowadays. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics have created a procedure for combining chemicals to produce high quality nanotubes in large quantities. The researchers took advantage of the Kirkendall effect, which occurs during inter-diffusion between two solids. They used the effect to take nanowires of a certain chemical composition in the core and the shell, and produce nanotubes of a more complex composition. The scientists showed that this method can also be used to efficiently produce nanowires themselves.